Electric elevator



A. B. SEE &W. L. TYLER. ELECTRIC ELEVATOR.

No. 478,821. Patented July 12, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

ALONZO B. SEE AND lVALTER L. TYLER, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

ELECTRIC ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,821, dated July 12,1892. Application filed March 14, 1892. Serial No. 424,764. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALONZO B. SEE and ALTER L. TYLER. citizens of theUnited States, residing in Brooklyn, in the countyof Kings and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricElevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric elevators and has special referenceto the mechanism for stopping and starting the same.

The object is to provide means for graduating the motion when stoppingor starting, especially when starting, and thereby avoid the injuriouseffect of shocks due to an abrupt stopping orstarting of the elevator.7e are aware that we are not the first to attempt to accomplish this,but we believe our organization of elements to be more advantageous thanany heretofore produced.

Our invention consists, in general, of the combination, with a wheel orswitch-arm operated from the car, of a pole-changer andcircuit-controller operated in succession thereby and anelectro-magnetic apparatus controlling the motor-circuit and itselfcontrolled by the said circuit-controller.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l representsa plan of theelevator and hoisting apparatus, and Fig. 2 represents a diagram of thecircuits and apparatus comprehended by our invention.

In Fig. 1, A represents the car, B the drum upon which the cablesupporting the car is wound and unwound, and 0 represents an electricmotor whose shaft 0 has a worm gearing directly to a worm wheel on thedrum-shaft. This gearing is covered by a box 19, and therefore does notshow in the drawings. The drum and motor are mounted upon the same baseD, so as to give the greatest rigidity and to maintain them constantlyin the same relative positions. The connection between the motorand thedrum is ordinarily through a worm and gear, although this dotail isomitted from the drawings.

6 represents the ordinary check wheel mounted upon a stud entirelyindependent of the drum or motor. The rim of this wheel is grooved andthe ordinary check-rope e passes around it and extends up through theelevator-shaft, passing through the car and over suitable sheaves, therope being an endless one and, as usual, under the control of theoperator in the car.

Referring now to Fig. 2, this wheel e is shown provided at diametricallyopposite points with an offset abutment e and a metallic spring 6 Belowthe wheel and in the same plane with the abutments e is a leverf,ofinsulating material, pivoted at f and carrying two metallic armsfAdjacent to the extremities of these arms are three metalliccontact-pieces 1, 2, and 3, respectively. This device comprises apole-changer for reversing the direction of the current which flowsthrough the motor, as will be presently described. On the other side ofthe wheel, diametrically opposite the pole-changer, are located twometallic contact-pieces g g, respectively suitably mounted and insulatedfrom each other. These pieces are located in the same plane withthemetallic springs 6 S represents a solenoid placed, preferably, in avertical position so that its armature will be operated in one directionby gravity. This armature is represented by s, and is provided with across-head 5, one end of which is upon a continuous strip 2' and theother end upon a series of contact-plates i, which are terminals of aseries of resistance-coils. The armature also carries a piston j, whichworks in a dash-pot j.

The electric circuits are as follows: Plus and minus signs respectivelyrepresent the supply-mains. They extend, respectively, to the two armsof the pole-changerf 0 0 represent the shunt-circuit for supplying thefield-magnets of the motor 0. From contactpoint- 1 of the pole-changer awire a leads to the continuous strip 2', and from the last contact-pointof the rheostat a wire 5 leads to one side of the armature. From theother side of the armature a wire 6 leads to point 2 of thepole-changer. Points 1 and 3 are electrically connected, as shown. Thesolenoid S is in a branch circuit 15, normally open at the points 9 g.The first contact-piece of the rheostat is entirely disconnectedelectrically from the other contacts, so that when the cross-piece s isupon it the armature-circuit of the motor is open.

The operation is as follows: When the apparatus is in the position shownin Fig. 2, we

will assume that the elevator-car has arrived at the bottom of the shaftand is about to start upward. The operator then pulls down on thecheck-rope and the check-wheel e is turned in the direction of arrow 0:.The abutment 6 strikes the lever f and shifts the polechanger so thatthe current will travel through the armature of the motor in a directionthe reverse of what it did while the elevator-car was descendinImmediately after reversing the current the contact-spring e on theopposite side of the wheel bridges the points 9 g and closes the circuitof the solenoid. The solenoid then attracts its armature and causes itto first close the circuit of the armature through the entire resistanceof the rheostat and then gradually cut the entire resistance out andgive the entire current to the motor. This movement of thesolenoid-armature is comparatively slow, as the necessity for a gradualmovement is greater than in stopping. When the elevator is to be stoppedat an intermediate landing, the check-rope is pulled upward a distancesufficient to open the circuit of the solenoid, but no fart-her. Thearmature s, then being released, falls by its own weight. Its movement,however, is less retarded by the dash-pot on account of the valve 1; inthe piston, and the resistance is first thrown into the circuit andfinally cutout and the circuit quickly opened to stop the motor. Instarting up again the rope is pulled to complete the solenoid-circuitand the motor starts, as before. When the upper end of the shaft isreached and it is desired to descend, the check-rope is pulled up andthe wheel rotated until the other abutment e strikes the leverf of thepole-changer 011 the opposite side and reverses it. Then the continuedmovement of the wheel brings the other contact-spring 6 into connectionwith the points g g and the solenoid-circuit is closed. The motor againstarts up, as before, butin a reverse direction and the car descends.

The particular advantage of this apparatus for elevator-work is that themain circuit is not directly controlled by the operator in the car, butis controlled through the contacts g g and the solenoid. The solenoiddoes not act until the connection between the contacts g g is completelybroken or perfected and then the solenoid throws the armature to thefull length of its stroke in one direction or the other. In allapparatus of this nature, so far as known to us, the check-rope has beenconnected in some manner directly with the rheostat-lever, so thatinasmuch as the rheostat is not visible to the operator in the car he isliable to leave the rheostat-arm in a position where an arc will beestablished between it and one of the contacts and cause a great deal ofinjury. Such a thing cannot happen with our apparatus.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. The combination, withan elevator-car and electric motor therefor, of anelectric-circuit-supplying current to the motor, an electro-responsiveapparatus in a separate circuit and controlling the motor, a switchcontrolling the electro-responsive apparatus, a wheel carrying a devicearranged to throw the switch, and connections from the car to the wheel,whereby the latter may be turned to move the switch, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of an elevator-car, a motor therefor, a switch andrheostat in the motor-circuit, a solenoid in a separate circuit, saidsolenoid moving the switch and rheostat, a retarding device for thesolenoid, a switch in the circuit with the solenoid, and mechanicalconnections from the car to the switch in the solenoid-circuit, wherebythe solenoid may be controlled.

3. The combination, with an elevator-car and electric motor therefor, ofa pole-changer in the motor-circuit, an electro-responsive apparatus ina separate circuit and control ling the motor-circuit, a switchcontrolling the electro-responsive apparatus, and a wheel carrying twopairs of devices, one device of each pair arranged to throw thepole-changer and the otherdevice of each pair arranged to throw theswitch, for the purpose set forth. 4. The combination of anelevator-car, a motor therefor, a rheostat in the motor-circuit, asolenoid in a separate circuit and operating said rheostat, a retardingdevice for the solenoid, a switch inthe solenoid-circuit, a pole-changerin the motor-circuit, the wheel e, and rope c, said wheel being providedwith devices for operating said switch and polechanger, substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ALONZO B. SEE. IVALTER L. TYLER.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK S. OBER, J AMES F. KAVANAGH.

